1. The author uses very calm and gentle descripting words to describe the car as if the entire process of the dying deer was a very ritualistic and spiritual one. The lights on the car could represent a type of higher power that is coming to rescue the deer from her pain. The author uses symbolism when describing the recent killing and the warmth in her belly to show how a part of her was still alive even though she was not. Maybe the author is trying to hint to readers about how a tragic event may kill you inside but there is always a part of you that is still alive to be grateful.
2. The speaker's tone is very calm and spiritual. The speaker seems very callous and kind yet not too upset. The author states that he pushed her over the edge into the river, yet is trying to take away the baby fawn's suffering. It's as if the author believes he is doing a greater good by forever killing the deer and her fawn, to get her out of the road so that she is not run over.
3. The effect is that the poem ends at a very climatic time, which is the author's purpose. His purpose for this change in structure is to show how his decision, after thinking about it, was very short just like the death of the deer. He wanted the deer's burial to be in a happy place rather than in the middle of the road so that it's memory was not disgraceful and nonoffensive.
4. The title is very appropriate in how it describes the travel of the author. I think the author represents this title to how we only have out sights (the lights in this situation) set on certain paths for our lives, yet sometimes an obstacle (the deer) can come out in front of us last second to where we have no choice but hit it head on. The obstacles make us who we are in life, such as this one for the author. When the speaker states that he "thought hard for us all", he was thinking of the other problems the deer could cause to others if it was left in the middle of the road. This relates back to the obstacles that get in your way in life. Sometimes you just have to experience a bad time or hard time so that others can prosper with your help.
Class Discussion
The word of "dark" in the title represents confusion and the unknown. In the first stanza, the deer represents pure spirit, the road represents a cleansing and renewed experience, the canyon represents a grave. The second stanza includes the glow of the tail light which mimics the faint light that the fawn has inside the dead deer. The car may represent a predator. Large in the belly tells us that it is a large pregnant female deer. The third stanza shows the caring the speaker has for the deer , "fingers touching her side". In the fourth stanza says that the hood "purred" which references a cat, or possible predator. Red represents evil and blood and death in the air, such as the death of the deer. In the last stanza, he pushes her over the edge so that tells the author doesnt have much connection with the deer, and wants to make sure no one else gets hurt by this. The river is a place of cleansing and renewal where he wants the deer and her child to rest.
I think this poem is trying to convey how much thought goes into deciding to take the life of something or keep it alive. The fawn in the doe could be referencing abortion or even possibly a person on life support. The decision to keep or take life is an important and hard one to make, especially with people around you watching. Sometimes taking away the person or animal's life will be more beneficial in helping the organism yet it sometimes may be very hard to do so.
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